Feeding mechanism for sewing machines



Sept. 25, 1928. 1,685,436 J. c. RINGE FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWINGMACHINES Filed Jan 10, 1927 3 Sheets$heet 1 Sept. 25, 1928.

-J. c. RINGE FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Jan. 10, 1927 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 25, 1928 1,685,436 J. c. RINGE FEEDING MECHANISMFOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Jan. 10, 1927 3 Shams-Sheet 3 f 7 wiltweugiw33% Patented Sept. 25, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,685,436 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. RINGE, OI STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGERMANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEWJER- SEY.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

Application filed January 10, 1927.

This invention relates to improvements in feeding mechanisms for sewingmachines and has for its object to provide a mechanism of this characterwhich will with greater certainty feed superposed plies of work withoutdistortion past the stitch-forming mechanism of the machine.

It has heretofore been a common practice to provide a feeding mechanismauxiliary to and having differentially timed work-feeding movements withrespect to the main feed of the machine, for the purpose of obviatingdistortion of one of the plies of the work. These so-called differentialfeeding mechanisms do not however insure a definite relationship betweena fulledply of the work and a work-ply superposed upon the fulled ply.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a sewing machine isprovided'with differentially feeding main and auxiliary four-motionlower feed-dogs cooperating with which is a needle-feed havingwork-advancing movements corresponding in ampli tude to those of themain feed-dog. The needle-feed actuating mechanism is so combined withthe actuating mechanism of the differentially moving feed-dogs that bya. single adjustment the work-feeding stroke of all three feedingelements may be varied, while a separate adjustment provides means forregulating the feeding movement of the auxiliary feed-dog independentlyof those of the main feed-dog and the needle-feed.

By means of the present improvement it is therefore possible to feedsuperposed plies of fabric without relative slippage, due to thecombined action of the needle-feed and the main feed-dog, whiledistortion of the lower ply of the work is prevented by the fullingaction of the differentially timed auxiliary feeddo I n the accompanyingdrawings, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a sewing machinecontaining a commercial embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a bottomplan of the sewing machine illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transversesection substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2, omitting the loop-takermechanism. Fig. 4 is a perspective view, partly in section, of thefeed-actuating mechanism detached. Fig. 5 is adetail elevation of theadjustable feed-eccentric support.

. Referring to the drawings, the sewing ma.- chine comprises the usualbed-plate 1, from which rises the hollow standard 2 of the over SerialNo. 160,015.

lower end the needle-bar carries the spaced needles 12.

The needle-bar 11 is journaled for endwise reciprocation in alinedbearing apertures provided in the spaced lugs 13 and 14 of the vibratoryframe 15 pivotally supported at its upper end upon the pin 16' fixed inthe head 4, whereby the frame 15 is confined to swinging movements in avertical plane transverse to the length 'of the main-shaft 5.

Secured upon the main-shaft 5 is the beltpulley 17 connected by means ofthe belt 18 with the pulley 19 secured upon the looptaker actuatingshaft 20 journaled in suitable bearings provided below the bed-plate 1,the pulleys 17 and 19 being of equal size whereb one to one rotationsare imparted to the sha 20 from the main-shaft 5. The loop-takeractuating shaft 20 carries spaced spiral gears 21 each meshing with asimilar gear 22 fixed upon a vertical looptaker shaft 23, whichloop-taker shafts 23 each carry a loop-taker 24 of any suitable or wellknown vertical-axis type for cooperation with the needles 12 in theformation of lock-stitches. The ratio of the gears 21 and 22 is such.that two rotations are imparted to the loop-takers 24 for each rotationof the actuating shaft 20.

Referring now more particularly to the present improved feedingmechanism, a main feed-dog 25 is secured by screws, as 26, upon a mainfeed-bar 27 receiving rising and falling movements from afeed-lifteccentric 28 100 upon the shaft 20, said eccentric being dis-- posedWithin a fork 29 secured for vertical adjustment upon the feed-bar bmeans of a screw 30 passing through an e ongated slot 31 provided in alug 32 depending from the 105 arms 35 on one end of a feed-actuatingrock- 11 Lil shaft 36. Suitably secured to the opposite end of therock-shaft 36 is the hub of a lateral arm 37 pivotally connected bymeans of a bolt 38 to the apertured lower end of a pitman 39 of whichthe upper end is formed as a strap embracing an eccentric 40. Theeccentric 40 has an enlarged shaft aperture 41 and is formed integralwith the eccentric-frame 42, which may be adjusted with respect to adisk 43 secured upon the shaft 5 to vary the throw of the eccentric.This adjustment may be effected by means of a knurled nut 44 at theouter end of the main-shaft 5 and in a manner substantially asdisclosedin the pat-v ent to Dial et al., No. 718,988, Jan. 27, 1903,which eccentric adjustment is so well known in the art as to hereinrequire no further de scription.

The bolt 38 also constitutes a pivotal con nection between the pitman 39and the lower end of a link 45 of which the upper end is pivotallyfconnected, by means of a bolt 46, to an arm 47 suit-ably fixed upon aneedlevibrating shaft 48. The shaft 48 is journaled for oscillation inbearings provided in the bracket-arm 3, said shaft 48 being disposedsubstantially parallel to the main-shaft 5 and carrying at its forwardend a bent crank-arm 49 suitably connected with the lower lug 14 of theneedle vibrating frame 15. The described connections for vibrating theframe 15 are so proportioned that the lateral movements of the needles12 correspond inamplitude to the feeding movements of the feeddog 25. Aswill be observed more particularly in Fig. 4, the feed-dog 25 isprovided with apertures 50 entered by the needles 12 during the feedingmovement thereof. It

- will therefore be understood thatthe needles for the main feed-dogactuating shaft 36,

said shaft 56 being journaled for rocking movements in suitable bearingsprovided in lugs 57 and 58 at the under side of the bedplate 1. At itsforward end, the shaft 56 is provided with spaced upstanding arms 59,between the free ends of which is pivotally mounted the transverselyapertured boss of an auxiliary feed-bar 60. Secured upon the feed-bar 60by screws as 61 is an auxiliary feed-dog 62 disposed in advance of themain feed-dog 25, said feed-bar 60 receiving rising and fallingmovements from the feed-lift eccentric 28 by means of a fork 63embracing said eccentric. The fork 63 is secured upon the feed-bar 60 bymeans of a screw 64 and preferably for vertical adjustment of thefeed-bar with respect thereto in the same manner as in the securingmeans for the fork 29.

The feed-dogs 25 and 62 operate as usual in suitable slots provided inthe throat-plate 65 secured upon the bed-plate 1, said feeddogs beingopposed during the feeding movements thereof by the usual presserfoot66. I

From the foregoing description, it will be evident that the work-feedingmovements of the needles 12 and the feed-dogs 25 and 62 may besimultaneously adjusted by the single adjustment of the eccentric 40,while the working stroke of the auxiliary feed-dog 62 may beseparatelyadjusted for differential work-feeding movements with respect to theunison feed of the other feeding elements. Consequently one of the workplies may be fulled the required extentfor different materials beingoperated upon, regardless of the stitch-length selected, while thesuperposed plies of material are with certainty fed without relativeslippage past the stitch-forming mechanism of the machine, by the unisonfeed of the needles 12 and the main feeddog 25.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim hereinis:

1. Feeding mechanism for sewing machines comprising, in combination,.an' endwise reciprocatory needle, means for imparting lateralwork-feeding movements to said needle, a main feed-dog havingwork-feeding movements at one side of the work in unison with thefeeding movements of said needle, operative connections for actuatingsaid main feeddog, an auxiliary feed-dog having work feeding movementsat the same side of the work as the main feed-dog, and means foractuating said auxiliary feed-dog in differential relationship withrespect to said main feed-dog and needle-feed.

2. Feeding mechanism for sewing machines comprising, in combination, anend- Wise reciprocatory needle, means for imparting lateral work-feedingmovements to said needle, a four-motion main feed-dog disposed below thework having work-feeding movements in unison with the feeding movementsof said needle, operative connections for actuating said main feed-dog,an auxiliary feeddog disposed in advance of said main feeddog, and meansfor actuating said auxiliary feed-dog in differential relatipnshipwithrespect to said main feed-dog.

3. Feeding mechanism for sewing machines comprising, in combination, anendwise reciprocatory needle, four-motion main and auxiliary feed-dogs,means for imparting unison rising and falling movements to saidfeed-dogs, means for imparting differential work feeding movements tosaid feed dogs, and operative connections transmitting lateral workfeeding movements to said needle in unison with the Work feedingmovements of one of said feed-dogs.

a. Feeding mechanism for sewing machines comprising, in combination, anendwise reciprocatory needle, means for imparting lateral work-feedingmovements to said needle, a main feed-dog having work-feeding movementsat one side of the work in unison with the feeding movements of saidneedle, operative connections for actuating said main feed-dog, anauxiliary feed-dog having work feeding movements at the same side of thework as the main feed-dog, means for actuating said auxiliary feed-dogin differential relationship with respect to said main feed-dog andneedle-feed, and means for simultaneously adjusting the extent ofwork-feeding movement of the several feeding elements.

5. Feeding mechanism for sewing machines comprising, in combination, anendwise reciprocatory needle, means for imparting lateral work-feedingmovements to said needle, a main feed-dog having workfeeding movementsat one side of the work in unison with the feeding movements of saidneedle, operative connections for actuating said main feed-dog, anauxiliary feed-dog 'having Work feeding movements at the same sideof thework as the main feed-dog, means for actuating said auxiliary feed-dogin differential relationship with respect to said main feed-dog andneedle-feed, and adjustable means for varying the extent of workfeedingmovement of the auxiliary feed-dog with respect to the unisonwork-feeding movement of the main feed-dog and needle.

6. Feeding mechanism for sewing machines comprising, in combination, anend- Wise reciprocatory needle, means for imparting lateral work-feedingmovements to said needle, a main feed-dog having work-feeding movementsat one side of the'work in unison with the feeding movements of saidneedle, operative connectlons for actuatlng sald mam feed-dog, anauxiliary feed-dog having work' and adjustable means for varying theextent of Work-feeding movement of the auxiliary feed-dog with respectto the unison Workfeeding movement of the main feed-dog and needle.

7. In a sewing machine, the combination with a rotary actuating shaft, areciprocatory needle carrying bar, and means for endwise reciprocatingsaid bar from said shaft, of a needle-feed rock-shaft, operativeconnections between the needle feed rock-shaft and the needle-bar forimparting lateral workfeeding movements to the needle carried by saidbar, main and auxiliary feed-dog carrying bars, a feed-actuatingrock-shaft for each of said bars, an eccentric and pitman connection forrocking a feed-actuating rock-shaft from said rotary shaft, means fortransmitting the actuating movements of said pitman to the needle-feedrock-shaft and to the other feed-actuating rock-shaft, and means forraising and lowering said feed-bars.

8. In a sewing machine, the combination with a rotary actuating shaft, areciprocatory needle-carrying bar, and means for endwise reciprocatingsaid bar from said shaft, of a needle-feed rock-shaft, concentrically journaled main and auxiliary feed-dog actuating fock-shafts, a crank-armcarried by each of said rock-shafts, an eccentric and pitman connectionbetween said rotary shaft and the crank-arm of the main feed-dogactuating rock-shaft, means for transmitting the actuating movements ofsaid pitman to the needle-feed rock-shaft crank-arm, a link connectionwith the crank-arm of said needlefeed rock-shaft, and an adjustableconnection between said link and the crank-arm of the auxiliary feed-dogactuating rock-shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN C. RINGE.

